About Us

In 2011, NSW Ministry of Health established an academic program in Workplace Mental Health after a competitive bidding process which was awarded to the University of New South Wales (UNSW).

The main aim of this program is to develop research focused on the mental health needs of NSW front line emergency workers (police officers, ambulance officers and fire fighters). Emergency workers have increased rates of mental health problems, some of which are related to the nature of their work and the traumas they are exposed to. We are hoping to better understand how emergency work can impact mental health and how emergency workers can be helped to remain as mentally healthy as possible.

In addition to our work with the emergency services, we are also developing a number of other projects focused on better understanding the link between other types of work and mental health. Our research considers the role work may have in precipitating or preventing mental illness, the occupational outcomes for those already suffering from mental disorders, predictors of sickness absence and workplace based interventions for both the treatment and prevention of mental disorders.

We are also affiliated with the Black Dog Institute and the development of its Workplace Education Programs. The Black Dog Institute is dedicated to improving the lives of people affected by depression, bipolar disorder and suicide. Combining expertise in clinical management with cutting edge research and evidence-based education and training, Black Dog rapidly translates quality research into life-saving clinical practice and public health policy.